Suffer Not the Witch
by Ronin of Greenwood
Summary: The Journal of Inquistor Ronin Jones of the Conclave of Delphi sector. wittness the quirky adventures of the least pure of the Witch Hunters as he serves his God-Emperor along with his band of assistents. R
1. Chapter 1

The author of this work claims no ownership for the rights to any Games Workshop or Warhammer 40K properties. All main characters and the plot of the story are owned by the author.

With that said Enjoy.

From the Journal of His most Holy God-Emperor of Mankind's

loyal servant and Inquisitor, Witch Hunter Ronin Jones of the Delphi Sector

313.026.M42

There are few times doubt the sanity of my chosen career path. Being pinned behind a rapidly shrinking pillar my bolt pistol just out of reach, one of my master crafted stub revolvers empty and the other near enough to count, is definitely one of them. I had tracked the heretic Count Baxton von Shale and his right hand man Severus for over a year before I caught up with them at the Count's summer mansion in the islands of the mostly oceanic world of Celvar's Haven. Severus' heavy stubber had whittled away most of my hiding place leaving me with little more then a foot of the majestic ballroom pillars width to conceal my self -behind.

"You know Inquisitor Jones your just making it harder on your self." the count laughed at me for the umpteenth time. "why don't you simply accept the joy that I have to offer you."

"Simple I have no other love then the God-Emperor." I called back fumbling with more of the anointed stub-rounds trying too reload. "Slaanesh an his "joys" can fraken jump."

Von Shale laughed again that insane maniac's laugh that you only really get in cheesy Holo-pict villains(1). "Come now Inquisitor no need to lie to me, we both know how you can be swayed by the temptations of the flesh." Severus let loose another burst of stubber fire at my shoulder which had become to courageous for it own good, I shrank back quickly avoiding injury but not advancing my situation any. "After all wasn't one of my associates that gave to that charm around your neck."

The charm he was referring to was really two Imperial Guardsmen dog-tags welded together with the regimental crest of the 597th Vahallen that was given to me with the request to keep it safe by a young women I romanced in a bar in the early months of my investigation, but I unhappily discovered that she was a low-ranking witch within the same cult(2). I later received a large amount of flak from my command for a woefully incomplete report on that incident.

"And your point is," I spat back, rage building from Severus' equally annoying nasally laughter among other things. "What I do with the things I take from heretics is my business."

If there was any response it was drowned out by roar of the twin-linked heavy bolters tearing through the ceiling like paper, my assailants dove for cover while Lela Korbs expert gunnery skill shredded the ballroom from above in my personal gunship. I moved quickly with the opening coming out of hiding in time to watch Severus reduced to a stain on the shredded floorboards. Baxton von Shale on the other hand slipped out of

the room and took off down the hallway. I moved in to the view of the gunship as it hovered above the damaged ballroom ceiling. I could just make out the idiotically grinning face of the pilot through the smoke. I replaced my hat back upon my head and pointed angrily towards the speeder garage in the direction von Shale had escaped in. Lela gave me a thumbs up sign and veered of in the direction I'd pointed. Recovering my bolt pistol and power sword form where they lay I resumed the chase. I persued my quary through the maze of the mansion's basment following the residual heat with my infra-scopic vision. I persued him to the door of the garage and batterd the door down with my foot.

Von Shale was preping a small atmosphere craft for launch when I entered, he spun around and produced a ornate laz- pistol from his multicolored jacket. "You are truly annoying Inquistor Jones." he spat, "you should count yourself lucky I let you live this long."

"Oooo, a threat of sorts. Im shaking in fear hereatic." I replied continuing forward in anger chambering a round in my pistol "save me the trouble and hold still."

"You may kill me but my dark lords bidding will still be done"

"That's what you all say."

"You shall never defeat the great Slaanesh your little Imperium will fall and your false god will be cast in to the refuse with the rest of the corpses."

"Are you done yet?"

He held his laz- pistol at me long enough to cry out in a demonic tongue,then turning the laz on himself, he whispered "Our brotherhood will seek vengence." With those words died one of the worst heretics in the Delphi Sector, and in fitting with his life Count Baxton von Shale caused me more years of annoyance.

XXX

The trip back to Veen IV was thankfuly uneventful, two weeks of travel in the warp in Delphi and the sourounding sectors caught up in the turbulent backwash from the Eye of Terror could quickly turn a simple trip in between systems in a navigational nightmare. Siren Manor, my estate on Veen IV was a simple beach front cottage, I had inherited from my master Inquisitor Typhon Cyrus upon his death, sat much the way I left when I began my travels. The grounds keepers going about the lawns pruneing the hedgerows while my personal security force petroled the grounds. Lela and I pulled in to the drive in front the main house where I was greeted by the rest of my outfit, Duren Gorbic my Psiker twitched nervously as he stood next to Renalestra Gessa a Hairless shrine-maiden from the sector's shrine world to Saint Orzen the vengeful, and Len Torgenson a former sergeant of the Agien 32nd infantry. The last member of my staff to greet me was Elasa Shen my trusted housekeeper/chief of security who updated me on the status of security upon our entry to the house and then fussed over a pair maides having them prepare the dining room and bring meals for my retinue and I.

The eveining passed without major incident with Gessa telling the tale about gathering information for me on the hive world Torrent and Gorbic's twitching getting so bad it was wonder he kept his robes clean through the whole meal. The wonders of Psikers. I soon retired to the study with a glass of amasec, good stuff dated 875 M41, and began finalzing my reports to the sector conclave and my Ordos. I was a little confused as to who I was supposed to send it to as the most recent leader of the Delphi Sector's Inquisitorial conclave had vanished three years before and my self being the only member of the Ordo Hereticus in the sector made me default head of the operation till a sutable replacement could be found, which the minor Ordos Electoris was dragging its feet on the process of doing(3).

"I have recovered the data slates you require master." said Seldic Piner, the aged arcivest my master Cyrus had employed years before I joined his retinue and inherited in to my sevice, bringing me stacks of the requested item jerking me from my thoughts. "any thing else you ask of me?"

I leafed through the stack, "Check through the rest of the files on Slanneshi cults. See if you can find refrences to a brotherhood."

"Any particular refrence master?"

"Sadly no," I sighed tugging at my beard irritability "I want a general list of files by this time tomarrow night."

Seldic bowed and disappeared behind the rows of shelves. I withdrew a data slate and scrolled through the contents till I found what I was looking for. The smiling face of a young girl stared back at me, some where in her early teens the schola uniforms shoulders covered in her bright golden hair, her eyes the same crystle blue as the ice spierers of her home-world. Not at all like the scantily clad bloodshot eyed witch I had met a year before. Heidi Oslo as the name the investigation turned up, was the daughter of Imperial Guard solders from the famous regament of the 597th Valhallen. A pair of squad sargents Alonzo and Crei Oslo somehow had rasied Heidi in the belly of a troopship for a year till the regament made its once in a decade return to Valhalla, where the Oslos had eagerly mustered out and settled down. Tragicly both had been killed in the Cadian sector after being reactivated during Abbadon the Despolier's 13th Black Crusade, leaving 10 year old Heidi and her three year old brother Caiphus orphaned.

After that not much else was listed she had been inducted in to the Schola on Valhalla and spent seven years there till her own disaperince.Which left me with the question of how wide spred was this cult, if it's witches hailed from as far away as Valhalla. Leaving the plate to oneside I began to backtrack through the information I had aquired thoughout my investigation but nothing solid appeared, names or refrences to other sectors crossed the charts but the farthest was only a two sectors away in Corinth. Sullenly I compiled the information for my report and composed a long patronizing letter to Senior Inqusitor Alice Cherenkov of the kabal of Corinth Sector requesting an audience with her. Being the only Inquisitor in the sector to hold the title of Witch Hunter ment that she was the only inquisitor of the Ordos Heraticus I could talk to without the Normal standoffishness that comes with the feeling that one is under investigation for heresy, an occurrence that makes all loyal inquisitors cringe(3). It would be 8 months of travel to Tanor the world Inquisitor Cherenkov operated out of so I arranged travel with a rouge trader that had arrived in system when I had arrived earlier, and owed me big for ignoring his unsanctioned astropath. Once again the pleasing thought of vacation I had a year be for vanished.

(1)_and one of the many reasons why I had done a happy dance at the prospect of putting him to the flame_

(2)_How I discovered this is need to know information. Which the Inquisition most certainly dose not need to know._

(3)_Again._

(4)_with the exception of those of Ordos Malleus who enjoy an imaginary position as above scrutiny by His noble inquisition. _


	2. Chapter 2

From the Journal of His most Holy God-Emperor of Mankind's

loyal servant and Inquisitor, Witch Hunter Ronin Jones of the Delphi Sector

124.026 M42

Captain Roscoe Dirge was a rouge trader in more then name only. Over the course of our journey he stopped twice to deal in illicit goods, acquiring Tau weaponry and Grain stock from a group of Kroot mercenaries and reselling, at generous discount I might add, to a embattled PDF regiment in combat with a raiding band of Orks in the Ashen Sub-Sector to the north. On both occasions I happily looked away dragging Captain Dirge deeper in debt to me. I also acquired Len a Pulse Rifle which he began carrying around with him every where and guarded jealously(1). All in all it was a pleasant trip we dined with the captain at least twice a week and enjoyed the company of his crew at all times. For a group of heretics they where surprisingly loyal to the God-Emperor believing that by acquiring superior Xenos Weapons and supplies and building trading relationships with our "galactic neighbors" as they called them we could present a united front against a Mechanical abomination known as the Necrons(2).

Tanor was the convent world of the Sisterhood of the Avenging Fist branch of the Adepta Sororitas a mark the world wore very visibly. The pilgrims of varying origin mingled in the space port as they a waited to be Processed in by young girls(3) bearing the Sisterhood's crest. A group of well dressed young ladies armed with Bolt Pistols escorted me and my retinue to set of rooms on the east side of the spaceport compound reserved for just such an occasion as a traveling inquisitor stopping in to visit, thus they appeared to be hardly used. I handed my letter to the girl in charge and had her dispatch it to Inquisitor Cherenkov and then began the waiting.

I had met Inquisitor Alice Cherenkov as an interrogator 13 years earlier when Inquisitor Cyrus and I had investigated a cult on a small feral world on the border with Corinth Sector. I was pleased to learn that she too had been trained by my master but it wouldn't be until many years later I would understand her distaste for him and as I was about to find out, myself as well.

That said, it was three weeks before I received an invitation to see the Senior Inquisitor in her offices on the southern continent. I assembled those of my staff I could trust to behave at such an important meeting, Gessa and Duren, dressed in my official inquisitorial robes with my rosette hanging in plain view on my chest and my tall hat proudly displaying my office and then followed the group of initiates that had been tasked with my protection to the skiff that would take us to our destination. Like all buildings on Tanor the Officio Inquistorim was a massive ornate structure, with the Inquisitorial Seal covering its massive front face and multitudes of golden cherub-shaped hailers singing out the God-Emperor's praise mounted on every corner and balcony. It was indeed a change form the war torn planet the Delphi Conclave's offices where on. Unlike the guards at the spaceport the Officio was guarded by full fledged Battle Sisters who eyed Duren suspiciously making my Psiker only twitch more then usual. We were met in the foyer by a aged records keeper wired to the floor behind a large desk, who registered my staff and I with security and notified Inquisitor Cherenkov of are presence. He then summoned a servo skull to guide us to the offices on the upper floors of the building.

XXX

Duren, Gessa and I arrived at a large antechamber and awaited to be called upon. Besides my retinue and I there were five others awaiting an audience, Fellow Witch Hunter Bernard Stouten had arrived on a similar errand form Babylon sector too the northeast of Corinth. After comparing notes with Bernard I began to get the feeling my journey might be not be for nothing. Inquisitor Janina Babel of Ordos Hereticus, her assistant Interrogator Vincent Raphael of the Kesh sub-sector of Corinth. The forth was a towering figure in power armor emblazoned with pastoral seals and more holy script then truly necessary, Alexander Zenmoore Witch Finder of the Adeptus Terra, and from what I heard a loose minded, bloodthirsty, self-righteous attack hound of the ecclesiarchy. Lastly was Confesser Yang equally as self-righteous yet not as terrifying. A servitor moved about the room serving drinks to the guests while we waited after what seemed like an hour we were beckoned in to Inquistor Cherenkov's Office.

The office was bigger then the antechamber as it encompassed the top four floors of the building. Senior inquistor Alice Cherenkov was a slender woman only just hitting her forties dressed in power armor, her hair dyed white and cut in the style of the Adepta. She sat on a ornate throne on a raised dais in the center of the room flanked by her Sisters of Battle Honor Guard a pair of cherub sevitors hovering around it flashing scripture banners at all who entered. Next to the dais was the Cannoness of the Sisterhood and assorted servitors and assistents awaiting the comencement of the confrence.

"You dare to call on me when the Emperors work is to be done." The Senior Inquistor shouted at myself and the two other lower ranking Inquistors in the chamber glaring at each one in turn, "Idleness breeds herasy I should order an investagation of each and every one of you."

Either her performance was a lot more convincing or my fellow inquisitors were idiots but the reactions where truly the original goal of the outburst. Inquisitor Stouten stuttered over his words trying to make his case and failing horribly, and Inquistor Babel, the poor thing, almost collapsed in to tears under the weight of the abuse, that I had discovered earlier not entirely undeserved, that Inquistor Cherenkov felt the needed to be displayed in public. Interrogator Rapheal aided his quivering superier to a nearby chair as the tieraid against her continued to move away from the botched mission and personnel deaths too whatever insult came Inquistor Cherenkov's mind that instint(4).

It was a moment after the Cannoness failed to calm the fuming inquisitor, Duren fainted due to intensive murderous stares coming from the battle sisters in the room and Confesser Yang and Witch Finder Zenmoore beginning to abuse any one who seemed convienint, that I choose the only option available to end it. To this day I still feel sorry for the poor servitor whose death gained the attention of all. I can now proudly say I'm one of the few people whose randomly shot something in a room full of edgy Sisters of Battle and not eat a bolter round.

"If you could save your personal issues until after myself and Inquisitor Stouten have concluded the business we need to attended to. I would most appreciate it." I said spining my revolver and quickly sliding back in to my robes, "Shall we begin?" Inquistor Cherenkov sputtered out some thing unintelligible while staring at me with a murderous gaze. I took one more brief look around the room ensuring Duren was being taken care of and procedied to make my report on my discovery of a possible intersector cult activity. It took a few minutes for the shock of my calling the meeting to order to where off but soon the body had been cleaned up it was business as usual.

Most of those present had constructive input in the case with the exception of Inquistor Cherenkov who remained respectfully silent throughout the discusion allowing those of us who had done the field work to compare notes and investigation logs. The only two who couldn't be bothered to provide any thing useful was Confessor Yang and Zenmoore both of whom assured us that there was no conspiracy or inter-sectoral cult operations and that we should consintrate on the Herarsy amongst the ranks of the Delphi Conclave. You can be assured in the fact that this royaly pissed me off espeacly when all but three of the inquistors mentioned in the long list names I new for a fact had been killed almost 4 years prior in the Razing of Delphi. High Inquistor Helena disappered after holding her position for only 3 months after the massacre at the conclave home world and the other two didn't survive long after being in Demonically induced comas for three weeks. It took all my control not to spit something I would regeret at the long drawn out reading that as I was glad to see had earned the rage of those present and caused the Cannoness to leave be for she acted in a way unbefitting of her post. Happily after three hours of actually working and less then fifteen minutes listening to the idiots from the Adeptus Terra we ajouned the meeting.

XXX

"You should file a protest," Gessa said with her usual calm as we flew back to the space port, "this I'm sure the holy church would quickly correct any mistake of this severity." I looked across the compartment at Duren who simply shook his head. "The Adeptus Terra rarely dose anything quickly," he answered "and they would rather let a few hundred names get branded as heratics and be wiped from all record then admit they were wrong. It's why the Inquistion passed the Addendum Exterminadus Extremis." he glanced back at me seeking my input but I was to infuriated at the universe to say anything. When I didn't answer he simply said "Just ask Ro(5) about Geldor V some time. It explains things better."

True to her innocence on the situation Gessa had tried to confront the Confesser on the error privately after the meeting while Duren and I recovered the dataplates from Inquisitors Stouten and Babel who offered to meet again later to discuss the case(6). Despite the claims of infallibility by Confessor Yang, Gessa had continued to argue the point oblivious to the feutility of the matter. "But why," she continued "if they were loyal servents of the Emperor," true to form the moment the name was even mentioned she reverently made the sign of the Aquila, "why shouldn't they make every effort to see that they are given the proper respect." I began to notice that this discusion had attracted the attention of the young Battle Sisters who were assigned to me as honor guards looking worried themselves about the implications of falsehood amongst the Ecceasiarchy.

"Simple." I finally said realizing the knife edge, "If they admit to being wrong they lose their greatest defence against the Inquistion." this did nothing to alevate the suspicions of my guard but that has never bothered me before. "The Adeptus Terra fear us like all humanty fears us. Because we of Ordos Hereticus were created to police corruption, the kind that brought about the Age of Aposticy. Corruption of the Adeptus Terra."

Duren looked out the window at the aproching spaceport, a faint shudder running down his neck, "It's why you never meet a Priest or Confesser willing to talk straight to a Witch Hunter. It's why the Books of the Dead on Holy Terra are filled with Inquistors taken out by nameless assassians on worlds deemed free of taint." He looked over at the Battle Sisters and then at Gessa. "There's a hidden war that's been fought since the Age of Apostasy. Its Ordos Heraticus versus the Adeptus Terra, it's not something you want to get involved with." Duren of course was right I really didn't want to get involved in it. But the God-Emperor for all his almighty powers had yet to be bothered with what I wanted.

XXX

Back at the spaceport Gessa vanished no doubt to chew over the conversation we had on the speeder. Duren wandered back to his room intent on doing what ever it was Psikers do when not reading thoughts or rending the materium with streange powers. I decided to take a walk across the promenade browsing shops filled with items one might need if one was to visit one of the many shrines across the planet. Of all the spaceports I've been to Tanor has to be the most boring, I was even able to wear my regalia without people doing numerous things to avoid my sight.

I was engrossing myself in verying forms incense in a small shop near my rooms when I realized someone had said my name. I looked up to find a girl in her late teens dressed in finer clothing then the rest of the populace. She nervously brushed a reddish blond curl from her face, "Inquisitor Jones I presume." she said again "I was wondering if I could talk to you"

"Really?" I said glancing around the shop quickly "What about?" not wanting to remain where I was if I had just confermed my identity for a waiting assassian.

"Employment, I wish to offer my services to you as Interrogator." that statement eliminated both the assassian suspicion and the possibility of renagead battle sister looking for a trip out of system, at least they would have been believable. Being the type of individual I was however I decided to humor the girl for a bit. That something about here eyes bothered me, something familer. "Very well then I said shall we find a place to discuss this privately." I said in my most business like tone, gesturing out on to the promenade. I couldn't help but over hear a slight exited giggle leave the girl as I followed her out, whatever she was doing she did a completely abysmal job of it and if it haden't been for the way her eyes caught me I would have probably followed her out of pure pity. We went to small resterant on the far side of the promenade form the landing field with a beautiful view of a the river that ran through territory.

Continuing the charade I secured private dineing room for us a treated the girl to a grand meal with a strong vintage amasec in the hopes she would drink her self to sleep enabling me to rid myself of her with grater ease. She on the other hand chose to drink very little and instead attempted to impress me with tales of hunting heratics across several sectors. I simply nodded and downed my glass realizing what an idiot I'd been.

"I never got your name or position." I finally said hopeing to cease the assault on my sanity. "I am Alecta Marie," she said happily "I am a freelance interagator."

"That is impossible." I responded, hoping to derail the whole situation while trying to not ruin the plesent meal we just enjoyed. "Seeing as how Interagator is only attainable through service to an Inquistor."

She attempted to respond but stumbled over her words loseing her calm and completely breaking down. It should be noted that during the meal I had engaged her in a few mental tests my master had used when screening recruites and she had passed them with flying colors. She was a child of the upper class though and that unfortunately came with a natural lack of focus.

I served her a bit of the custered that had been brought for the dessert and looked over at the teary eyed girl. "Now then. You are going to tell me who you are and why it is you are so eager to serve the emperor." She looked at me trying collect her thoughts. I gave her the time because I wasn't going anywere. "You seem like an intelligent girl why the attempt at deception?"

"I wish to flee." she said finally "I'm tired of my life shut away on this world, I want adventure." she looked me square in the eyes I couldn't help but look deep in to them. Grey, with an innocence that didn't seem right for them. I suddenly found myself not paying attention to the world around me. Lost in memories trying to place the eyes, not understanding why they caught me but my master always said I was thick headed. Then it hit me, "What did you say your name was again?" I said putting the confusing pieces of the puzzle together. "Alecta" She answered "Alecta Marie Cherenkov."

At that moment the memory surfaced. I had shoved it away never wanting to relive the moment. I was brought back five years to _His Rightious Fist_ in orbit around the hole torn in reality that use to be Geldor V over five million people had died that day among them was Witch Hunter Typhon Cyrius kneeling next to his broken body as demonic energy sucked away the last of his life, He had called out a name, her name. Afterward I had to admit that it with what I knew of my master the fact that he had fathered a child with his former student wasn't a bit unbelievable. But I still couldn't grasp the fact. I really am thick headed.

_(1)I'm starting to believe what the tech-priests say about Xenos machinery is true._

_(2)I would like to point out that due to the nature of the Warp in Delphi Astropathic communication is unreliable at best, so despite the rising appearance of Necron tomb worlds in imperial space over the last 80 or so odd years the information had yet to reach the sector. (I'm also sure the loose brained magosi of the Cog Boys had something to do with it as Well)_

_(3)A common occurrence amongst the Sisters of Battle the young trainees are set about too work necessary jobs around the planet till they became old enough to fight in a battle company. _

_(4) It is at this moment I would like to point out that Inquisitor Babel while inept at combat tactics and stratagems was quite analytical and later promoted to chief of our Ordos in Delphi Sector a job I never bothered to do the fourteen years I would hold the title due to the fact I was the only operative in the sector. _

_(5) Unlike the rest of my associates Duren prefers to call me by the familiar form of my given name, something about us being together for so long._

_(6) No doubt fuming at my high jacking of her meeting Inquisitor Cherenkov had stormed out before the Proclamation of Heresy thus we assumed she would not be participating._


End file.
